~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday Morning Mold December 27, 2004

Mold in the Media

December 27, 2004

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mold Stories

-- Envirosurf Announces "Toxic Mold Prevention Month" for January, 2005 (WebWire, GA - Dec 26. 2004)

-- Payback time for school delays (Daily News Transcript, MA - Dec 26, 2004)

-- Mold house water bill questioned: Former owners seek partial refund (MetroWest Daily News, MA - Dec 21, 2004)

-- Asthma Study Sends Wrong Messages About Beneficial Cleaning Products (Medical News Today, UK - Dec 26, 2004)

-- Kaiser answers state complaints (Marin Independent-Journal, CA - Dec 26, 2004)

-- Celebrity Mold: Nugent still has a 'Bash' (MLive.com, MI - Dec 26, 2004)

-- Mold Education: Evidence suggests that changes in the bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract can intensify the immune system's reaction to common allergens (News-Medical.net, World - Dec 23, 2004)

-- Court Mold: 2 district court staffs to be moved (Hampton Union, NH - Dec 17, 2004)

-- School Mold Follow Up: Southern High to skip air tests, clean up mold (Agana Pacific Daily News, GU - Dec 22, 2004)

-- Mold & Insurance (Charley, Frances, Ivan & Jeanne): Ruined blue roofs could spawn new destruction (Charlotte Sun-Herald, FL - Dec 24, 2004)

-- Mold & Technology: Morwear Plus 'In the Paint' Dunks Mold with National Debut; Morwear Plus Takes Center Court at Lakers vs. Miami Game (Business Wire, CA - Dec 22, 2004)

-- Mold & Medicine: Clinical Mycology and Antifungal Therapy (Medscape (free electronic subscription) - Dec 19, 2004)

-- For Fun: The Fungus Among Us -- Funky Fungus Facts and Figures

Dear C,

Sure hope everyone had wonderful holidays! My children, my dad and I spent Christmas day together. Christmas Day Afternoon, my seven year old son and five year old daugther got together and made a cake in the Easy Bake Oven, and topped it with sour gummy Scooby Snacks from the Scooby Doo Snack Maker.

This week's photo is of Scedosporium from www.doctorfungus.org. Scedosporium is now a significan cause of non-Aspergillus mold infections in transplant patients, and has a mortality rate of over 50%. For more information, see the Mold & Medicine article below.

Envirosurf Announces "Toxic Mold Prevention Month" for January, 2005 (WebWire, GA - Dec 26. 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MABINAY, Philippines. Envirosurf the environmental global search engine, announces that January, 2005, will be the first annual, worldwide observance of "Toxic Mold Prevention Month."

Homeowners, apartment residents, and workers can download the free, ready-to-print flyer "Ten Toxic Mold Prevention Tips for both Home and Work" to post on bulletin boards, give to landlords and job supervisors, or use as a check list for preventing toxic mold infestation. Visit http://www.envirosurf.com/toxic-mold-prevention- month.htm.

Payback time for school delays (Daily News Transcript, MA - Dec 26, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FRANKLIN -- While construction woes surrounding the new Horace Mann Middle School complex on Oak Street may be a thing of the past, the town is now hoping to cash in on the two years-delayed project. "The town is under negotiation with contractor J.F. White," said Thomas Mercer, past chairman of the Horace Mann Building Committee. "The project began in 2000 and was supposed to be completed within two years."

Although Mercer said he is unable to comment on the amount the town is owed while in the middle of negotiations, the town could get $2,000 for each day the project was delayed, according to the contract the town signed with Neponset Valley Contractors, the general contractor. Like Mercer, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said a final figure is not yet available.

Mold house water bill questioned: Former owners seek partial refund (MetroWest Daily News, MA - Dec 21, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NATICK -- The former owners of a Bacon Street home infested with toxic mold appealed last night for a reduced water and sewer bill. Solomon Feldman, a lawyer representing Abdullah and Radhia Rabi, appeared before selectmen to ask for an abatement on a portion of a $26,087 water and sewer bill. The couple, he told the board, is looking for a break on the sewer charges of the bill, amounting to $14,699.

"These are folks who have suffered an immense loss," he said. The water and sewer bill was paid to the town as part of the sale of the home at 123A Bacon St., Feldman said. The Rabis took a hefty loss, selling the property for almost half the $500,000 they paid for it in 2000. The new owners razed the condemned house earlier this month.

Asthma Study Sends Wrong Messages About Beneficial Cleaning Products (Medical News Today, UK - Dec 26, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Media coverage of a British study on children and asthma wrongly links the use of cleaning products to asthma suffering -- and ignores the health benefits of responsible product usage, according to The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA).

Newspaper stories that have attacked the use of cleaning products and hygiene in general are based on an observational study published in the British journal Thorax. The initial interpretation of the study - - based on answers to a questionnaire -- presumes that usage of chemicals in household cleaning products leads to wheezing and asthma suffering in children.

Kaiser answers state complaints (Marin Independent-Journal, CA - Dec 26, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

State inspectors discovered dirty shower rooms and patios fouled by bird droppings when they visited Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Rafael last September.

These conditions were found on floors of the hospital where patients receive chemotherapy. Such therapy suppresses the immune system and increases patients' susceptibility to infection and disease.

Celebrity Mold: Nugent still has a 'Bash' (MLive.com, MI - Dec 26, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ted Nugent may no longer live in Michigan, but he still considers himself a "Michiganiac at heart." That's one of the reasons he's continuing his "Whiplash Bash" tradition in and around his home state. He'll play The Palace of Auburn Hills at 8 p.m. Wednesday, as well as Mount Pleasant's Soaring Eagle Casino today, and dates in Illinois and Indiana.

Nugent said he and his family moved to Crawford, Texas, about a year and a half ago, partly because his wife was getting sick from the mold in their Concord home. He said his wife, Shemane, still gets migraines too often, but is recovering.

Mold Education: Evidence suggests that changes in the bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract can intensify the immune system's reaction to common allergens (News-Medical.net, World - Dec 23, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the January 2005 issue of Infection & Immunity, U- M researchers report new evidence suggesting that changes in the normal mixture of microflora - bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract - can intensify the immune system's reaction to common allergens, like pollen or animal dander, in the lung and increase the risk of developing chronic allergies or asthma.

"Our research indicates that microflora lining the walls of the gastrointestinal tract are a major underlying factor responsible for the immune system's ability to ignore inhaled allergens," says Gary Huffnagle, Ph.D., an associate professor of internal medicine and of microbiology and immunology in the U-M Medical School. "Change the microflora in the gut and you upset the immune system's balance between tolerance and sensitization."

Court Mold: 2 district court staffs to be moved (Hampton Union, NH - Dec 17, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAMPTON - Saying that the Hampton and Exeter district courts are unsafe and causing health problems for employees, the state Court Accreditation Committee voted Thursday to move the personnel of the two courts to temporary locations.

At a meeting of area court and community officials in the Hampton courthouse, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Broderick said he visited numerous court facilities in the last few months and what he saw in Hampton and Exeter was very disturbing.

School Mold Follow Up: Southern High to skip air tests, clean up mold (Agana Pacific Daily News, GU - Dec 22, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There won't be any air quality tests at Southern High School. Instead, education officials will clean existing mold off the walls and ceiling tiles in classrooms.

Parent Toribia Flores had mixed feelings about the way Department of Education officials are dealing with the mold issue. "So our kids are going to be exposed to the mold not knowing how bad and then they don't even know how long it's going to take to clean the mold up," Flores said.

Mold & Insurance (Charley, Frances, Ivan & Jeanne): Ruined blue roofs could spawn new destruction (Charlotte Sun-Herald, FL - Dec 24, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ARCADIA -- More than four months after Hurricane Charley ripped roofs from homes and businesses here, a second wave of destruction might be starting. A drive through any area of DeSoto or Charlotte County reveals tattered blue plastic that once was stretched taut over roofs. On many homes today it is torn and shredded, flapping in cold north winds, unable to protect the home it had kept dry since installation.

With each passing cold front and accompanying winds, more blue roofed homes are damaged. And with the cold fronts come rain. Today and Christmas promise to be rainy as a new front pushes through.

Mold & Technology: Morwear Plus 'In the Paint' Dunks Mold with National Debut; Morwear Plus Takes Center Court at Lakers vs. Miami Game (Business Wire, CA - Dec 22, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 22, 2004--Morwear Manufacturing today announced that Morwear Plus(TM) Advanced Mold Control Paint will be sponsoring the half-court $100,000 promotion for the Lakers vs. Miami game on December 25, 2004. This event, dubbed the Morwear Plus(TM) "In the Paint" $100,000 half-court shot, marks the launch of the most revolutionary anti-mold paint on the market. A contestant will be selected at random during the first quarter to shoot for the largest cash prize given out during half time at a Laker's game in the past fifteen years. This is the first time former teammates and All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal will play as opponents since Shaq's departure. The game will take place at the Los Angeles STAPLES Center and start at 12:00 PM PST.

"Morwear is launching a product that is a slam dunk against mold on the biggest game day this year," says Eric Von Knipe, President and CEO of Morwear Manufacturing. "Morwear Plus(TM) will change the way people think about paint."

Mold & Medicine: Clinical Mycology and Antifungal Therapy (Medscape (free electronic subscription) - Dec 19, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introduction. Invasive fungal infections continue to pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, particularly for clinicians caring for immunocompromised patients. The availability of new, more potent antifungal agents has resulted in a reduction in the incidence of several mycoses, particularly candidiasis, but has had a limited effect on the opportunistic molds. Fortunately, recent advances in the epidemiology, prevention, early diagnosis, and therapy of infections by opportunistic molds have been achieved, some of which were presented at this year's ICAAC meeting.

Epidemiology and Infection Control. Patients with invasive mycoses may acquire their infection in the hospital or in the community from different sources, including air and water. Three studies presented at this year's ICAAC identified additional sources of pathogenic fungi: the use of probiotics[1] for the treatment and prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, and bottled mineral water.[2] Treatment with the probiotic Ultralevura was identified as the only risk factor for an outbreak of fatal Saccharomyces cerevisiae infections in 3 patients cared for in a heart surgery intensive care unit. Fungi recovered from the Ultralevura capsules and clinical isolates were identified as S cerevisiae, and DNA fingerprinting studies showed that the clinical and the Ultralevura isolates were identical. Discontinuation of Ultralevura use in the unit stopped the outbreak. Another study evaluated the presence of fungal contamination in 68 commercially available mineral waters, 1 tap water sample, and 1 water sample from a natural well from 16 countries. All water samples were submitted for fungal cultures, panfungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Aspergillus antigen testing (galactomannan platelia assay). Overall, 4% of all samples yielded fungal growth. Molds were detected in 3 samples. Aspergillus antigen was not detected.

For Fun: The Fungus Among Us -- Funky Fungus Facts and Figures

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This website is primarily concerned with mushrooms, but has some fun general stuff. Among the facts:

Monday Morning Mold Archives

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

·  Hyde Mulvihill APC

·  Monday Morning Mold Archives - 2004

·  Monday Morning Mold Archives - 2003

Contact Information

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

email: cmulvihill@cmsynergy.com

phone: 626-358-7471

web: http://www.cmsynergy.com/California/California%20Law%20Firms/cynthia_coulter_mulvihill.htm